Pixar and Jesus

Over the past few weeks our discipleship group has been watching the Pixar movies and discussing the spiritual ramifications of each film. Its been a lot of fun so far we've watched Wall-e, The Incredibles and Up! My favorite part so far has been a discussion we had about The Incredibles.

The Incredibles is about a family who all has superpowers. Unfortunately for them, society has forced them to live lives where they do not use their superpowers. This causes many difficulties for the family as they try to go about life as a normal ordinary family while hiding their identities as superheroes.

In connection with the movie, we spoke about Romans 8, where the apostle Paul writes about our identity in Christ. "Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

The Incredibles desired to live into their identities just as we desire to live into our identities as co-heirs with Christ. Just as the world told the Incredibles that they couldn't be superheroes anymore the world is yelling at us that we are not co-heirs with Christ, that we are not princes and princesses of God (that's what a co-heir is!).

So, know this that you are a princess or a prince of the Living God, with Jesus Christ and the world cannot take that away from you. Pretty fun stuff

Much thanks to Mockingbird Ministries and their book The Gospel According to Pixar.

Summer of 2010

Well the summer seems to be getting away from us. This week Ambridge Area students headed back to school and with that another summer comes to an end. This summer the Ambridge Sports & Arts Camp ran for the 7th time. The camp continues to attract youth as we had an average of 25 - 30 youth at Arts Camp and 35 - 40 youth at Sports Camp.

This summer the Arts Camp team took on a difficult challenge of creating a movie with the youth. During the summer the team and the youth wrote, directed, starred in their own movie. The film was shown on the last day of camp. It was wonderful to see the youth watch themselves and smile and laugh at the film. Where else do youth get to experience that? And for Free?

We are excited about how God is moving in Ambridge and so glad that we get to be a part of it.

Crazy Spring Part III - Lacrosse

Ambridge Area Lacrosse started this spring. It has been a fun spring as 14 middle school aged boys have had the chance to learn lacrosse. The Ambridge Area team is the first boys team in Beaver County and played its first game against Moon on April 20th. We have yet to get our first win but our youth are having a great time and are seeing God glorified in sports. Here are some pictures from our first season...thanks Christina


Before the start of our game at Sewickley Academy



A Saturday Practice



We are the team in blue

Crazy Spring Part II - Youth Alpha

Alpha is a program developed by Nicky Gumbel, in which basic Christianity is broken down into 14 or so sessions. In Alpha, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are discussed as well as faith, the church, the Bible and the devil. The program has been used all over the world and I have personally have participated in it several times. Church of the Savior where Shea and I attend decided to start a Alpha program this spring and in it a youth Alpha program as well.

Our leadership team has worked with youth who come from all different backgrounds this spring. We have had youth who attended church or church related activities several times a week to youth who don't attend church at all. My favorite story from the past several months is this one...

For one of our sessions we were going to talk about the Holy Spirit, what it is, where it came from etc. We (the leaders) met right before the session and we were a bit concerned that the youth did not know who exactly Jesus was and know Him as their Savior. So, instead of talking to the youth about the Holy Spirit, we spent the whole session talking to the youth about Jesus and answering questions about Him. We talked about Jesus' life and why He had to come, why we needed Him and how He can be a part of our lives. It was an awesome experience and I hope that one day when the youth look back on that day they will remember the things we talked about and how their relationship with Jesus started that day or was accelerated.

Crazy Spring Part I - New Wineskins

Over the next few post I am going to try and update you on our "Crazy Spring", God has given us lots of responsibilities over the past few months, one was the New Wineskins Conference.

New Wineskins is a conference that happens every three years that invites people into a conversation about Christian missions. Ambridge Youth Ignite led the middle school portion of the event. We had a great time with the youth, we talked about loving God, loving our neighbors, loving other Christians and being sent out into the world. Also called the four commandments by this man, Whis Hays. We did two things really stand out, first we created tye dye t-shirts for youth in a specific foster care system (loving our neighbors) and we also made mosaics from broken tile on which we wrote our sins against our fellow Christians (loving other Christians). It was really fun and the youth got into what we were teaching. Toward the end of the weekend, several of the youth were praying for the salvation of their friends back home. They were inspiring me.

I am thankful for the youth that attended and for Sadie and Shea who served the youth along with me.

Ambridge Lacrosse

Well it happened. This past week we had our first practice of lacrosse for our 5th - 8th grade team. It was a lot of fun getting out there and actually practicing. We have about 13 boys who are on the team and we'd love to have a few more, especially once we start playing games. A couple of crazy things have occurred to make this team happen. First off probably a year and half ago I was given 20 used lacrosse helmets from an anonymous donor, many of the youth on our team will wear these helmets. Secondly, the Ambridge Borough allowed us usage of field space. If you have ever been to Ambridge you'll notice there aren't very many grass areas to have a lacrosse practice on and thanks to the Borough we have one. Thirdly, the Ambridge Area School District allowed us to distribute flyers about the lacrosse team in all the elementary schools and the junior high, which gave us a team of youth whom many I have never met before. (This is surprising with the hundreds of youth we have had at sports & arts camp). Lastly and very importantly, one of the sports camp coaches from this past summer has volunteered to help me with coaching and he has a ton more playing experience than I do, which I am very grateful for. It has been great to see this all finally come together after years of attempts but there are still a few things we need...

an adequate goal, several sets of pads and a few smaller sized helmets. If you'd like to partner with us and be a part of our team you can donate lacrosse equipment or give financially. Please let me know if you'd like to help us out at ericgeisbert@rocktheworld.org.

By the way we are the Ambridge Warriors, Go Warriors! (the youth chose the name)

Ambridge Lacrosse

This weekend begins another adventure for Ambridge Youth Ignite. Since, Shea and I moved to Ambridge in 2006, I have hoped to create a lacrosse team here. It hasn't happened. However, this weekend is the start of our registration for the Ambridge Area Lacrosse Team. I am excited and nervous and also curious to see what happens. Let me tell you a little about why I think lacrosse could be an important addition to the ministry we have here in Ambridge.

First, lacrosse doesn't exist in Ambridge, it didn't exist in the county up until a few years ago and there is now one girls team near Beaver Falls (not near Ambridge).

Second, lacrosse is known as a privileged sport, as in people who have money or status or both play lacrosse. US Lacrosse is trying to break down that wall and I'd love to help them.

Third, we have had lacrosse for 5 summers of Ambridge Sports Camp and the youth love it, but they really can't play it outside of that one week of camp.

Fourth, I know that I can connect with youth and show them Christ through lacrosse.

Fifth, I believe in God who wants to be worshiped in all parts of our life, why not lacrosse?

Lacrosse for me and bringing it here to Ambridge, is like taking the sports & arts camp to Peru. In both, we want to give the youth something that they have never had...bring them joy through it...help them make new friends...connect with loving leaders...and connect with a God who loves them.

Final thoughts on Peru

“I never thought the camp would go this well"

Many times over the week of sports and arts camp at San Mateo Church in Lima, Peru, I thought, expressed and prayed thanksgivings that included these words. All week long I was in awe of the way God made a way for us to speak about Him through sports and arts in another culture. The youth were receptive to everything we put in front of them. They excelled at the arts portion of the camp and loved being exposed to sports like American football. The week in Lima went better than any week I have had leading sports and arts camp in Ambridge. It was truly amazing and our team hopes that we can be fire starters that helped begin a new youth ministry at San Mateo. Please pray for the youth and their leaders at San Mateo.

We have been back for several days now, the youth and the camp have never been far from my mind. As I pray for the youth and San Mateo, I can’t help wonder why in the world things went so well in Lima. With that I am praying about the possibility of starting sports and arts camps in other states and countries. If it works in Pennsylvania and Peru, why not Jordan and Mississippi or Michigan and Uganda? Pray for us as we seek God’s direction in this area. Pray also that God’s Kingdom will come and all the people of this world will know of his love, grace and that God desires to be in relationship with each of them.



My surprise that I have been waiting to tell you all about (you may have forgotten by now) was that we did a traditional Peruvian dance our last day in Lima. We practiced after camp each day we were down there. A few of the practices were very difficult and taxing (I have a new respect for dancers). I hope to have the video up in a few days...its definitely something to see :).

Peru Trip from Jim's Perspective

Jim another member of our leadership team to Peru tells you about his experience.

As we left for the airport I was still wondering why God might be sending me on this trip. We arrived early in the morning and got to our very simple but beautiful hostel. Over the next couple of days we would go through orientation and preparation to do our work among the young people of Lima. There just seemed to be something in the air that was simple and beautiful. Many old structures and architecture they showed a great appreciation for the culture and history of this land.

Each day we drove through the poorer parts of Lima to get to our church of destination to do the work of playing sports and teaching art to young people. What I found was young people excited to play and create. They didn’t care if it was a traditional sport like Soccer or a brand new sport like American football. They just wanted to play and enjoy the game.

In the afternoon we would do art work and again it was less about the activity and more about the opportunity to create. God clearly showed his face through playing and creating in community. Sport and art surpassed all cultural barriers. God created humans to be in community. No matter the culture the need to belong is in all of us. For these five days that is what I saw. People who couldn’t even speak to each other clearly learning from each other, praying, playing, creating and eating together. Then closing each day with a message that shared how God is active in the lives of humans, both young and old.

For myself I was once again invigorated to do youth ministry, my prayer life and desire to pray with others came alive again. I spent much of my time saying little and discerning where and how God would want me to pray among these people. It has been a long time since I have felt such a clear direction in how and when to pray.

This trip also reminded me that no matter where we go in the world, young people and leaders of young people wrestle with the same issues. Many adults are stretched in different directions and that can make it hard to connect with the young people. Trying to get adults to see the depth of what a youth ministry can do in the hearts of young people can be difficult. And some young people may be apathetic in their spiritual lives or frustrated with adults not taking them seriously enough. But what God set before us this week was a beautiful group of young people who wanted to be together to play and create and both see and hear the message of God.

In this poor neighborhood where houses look like they are falling apart, where you can find garbage and litter in the streets, you will also find a brand new basketball court where games can be played. In the middle of this park many different people pass through, talking, walking buying a snack, smiles, looks of tiredness and worry. For one week 40 young people and a slew of adults played in this park and created art in the church. But mostly we shared lives with each other. People that couldn’t always verbally communicate, yet somehow got along to be in community in the name of Jesus. God is the God of all time and transcends all cultures, he has given all of us the need to play and create in community and to belong to something bigger than ourselves. We found a clear presence of God in this place. We found the God who weaves us all together in creative patterns. I found a new love of cultures, prayer and Christians.

Ben's Peru Experience

One of our leaders on the trip to Peru was Ben who tells you about his time at San Mateo.

Visiting Peru was an amazing and enlightening experience. I was in charge of teaching the children musical (more precisely percussion) instruments for the arts portion of the camp. Our group was able to purchase 10 hand crafted cajons for the church at San Mateo and for the Anglican Diocese of Lima. The cajon is a type of hand drum that is native to Peru, and the children were very perceptive and excited to learn to play the drums.

The staff and youth leaders at the School at San Mateo were very hospitable and served snacks and lunch each day at the camp. One of the best parts about my week here was the opportunity to connect with the kids and form relationships with them. Despite my lack of knowledge of Spanish, we were able to show the kids how to glorify God and how to love and respect one another through the simple and non-verbal activities in sports and arts.

Peru Journal Entry 4

January 20th - 22nd

The camp went on as planned we played ultimate frisbee, basketball and volleyball to end the sports camp. The youth had the opportunity to draw and paint portraits of each other as well as sculpt objects and paint them.

The youth responded really well to the camp, we had about 40 total youth show up and many different leaders participate. On the last day we awarded the campers of the day, with a gift. They were given the opportunity to choose one of the sports balls that we played with this past week, they could choose an American football, futbol/soccer ball, basketball, volleyball or a frisbee. Five boys and five girls were chosen and four of the girls selected volleyballs (its very popular among the girls here) and one chose a frisbee and four boys selected American footballs and one chose a futbol. I really like the fact that the boys took so well to American football, they really enjoyed it and actually a few them made art pieces that contained American football in them.

Last night we went to Lima’s fountain park which has something like 13 water fountains and a fountain show at the largest (its similar to the fountain show at the Baligo in Las Vegas if you ever have seen that on TV or in person). The whole park was very beautiful, the event was the first touristy thing we have done since we’ve gotten to Lima.

Peru Journal Entry 3

January 19th

Wow, today was another great day. We taught (more so played) futbol/soccer with the youth today. It was a lot of fun because of course they love futbol. It is always a bit strange to me to see how much other cultures embrace futbol and in the US we just kind of run past it to other sports. Maybe its because we have lots of options but I think it would be really great to see the US embrace futbol the way the rest of the world does.

Please pray for 2 of our teammates who are struggling with stomach illnesses, we really want them and need them at camp but we really want them to be well while they are here in Peru. Due to the fact that one of our teammates missed today, our high schooler stepped up big time. Josh led one of the arts station today where the youth play the cajone or the box drum. Its a pretty difficult task and Josh struggle through bits of not wanting to do it but he totally took over the class. It was great to see him step into that role as we as a team have been encouraging him to step out in leadership.

The sports & arts are working so well here, its working better here than it does in Ambridge, which is really surprising me. I really hope that the leaders at San Mateo (the church we are working at) can see how easy the camp is to run if you have the right leaders in place. Hopefully this will become something they can use to minister to the youth in the community for years to come.

Peru Journal Entry 2

January 17th

Today we went to church at San Mateo, where the sports and arts camp is going to be held. The church service was beautiful. The church sanctuary is basically concrete walls with an open celling that has a cloth tarp over it, that you can see through. Yesterday was Lima’s Anniversary, I believe 400 plus years, we went to the central part of the city and heard music, had dinner and watched people, it was good fun.

January 18th

Today the Lima Sports & Arts Camp started. We played American football with the youth and they really seemed to enjoy it. Quite a few became pretty good at throwing, catching and kicking a ball they had never seen or held before. The arts camp went really well too, the youth took to the box drumming very well (which should be expected the box drum or the cajone is from Peru), as well as the two physical art pieces where the youth are making a huge collage as well as individual ones for themselves.

Jim gave a piece of his testimony today and it was wonderful. He spoke about how in sports he had been pushed into leadership roles and he believes it was part of God’s plan for him to become a leader within the church later on in his life. Jim told the youth that they should step into leadership roles when asked because the responsibility will help them and God’s kingdom in the future.

I do have one more thing to write about but I will wait until we get back to visibly show you on video. I believe it will surprise a lot of you, its surprising me.

Peru Journal Entry 1

January 16th

Very early this morning around midnight we arrived in Peru, after going through customs & immigration, we finally met up with our host from Peru, Paul & Susan. It was wonderful to see then even though we had never met them before. We are staying in a hotel in downtown Lima, which took us awhile to get to from the airport. We finally got to bed around 230 am. Our flights and security all went on as scheduled and were very uneventful which was a huge blessing.

I awoke today with an eagerness to get started. I knew today that we would shop for the rest of the sports camp equipment and the arts supplies. For me getting those pieces together is very helps me have a clearer picture of what the week is going to look like.

We went to the Cathedral where Susan and her husband John work. We were given a quick tour and then we sat down with a few other leaders from the church we are going to run the camp. It is always humbling for me for someone to speak to me in english when the struggle with it so, it truly shows how much they care for you and desire for you to be comfortable. That happen again today, as we spoke with one of the youth leaders. She has a wonderful heart for the youth of Peru and many of the ways that she and the diocese desire to serve the youth are very similar to the ideals that I have learned through Rock the World. A couple of those are team leadership within their parishes, mentoring / discipling the youth not just creating converts and being aware that their leaders need constant attention and training.

During our conversation we came to the realization that Lima Sports and Arts Camp would work best if we can run the camps behind the scenes, putting the Peruvian leaders in front. This would give the youth the opportunity to see the Peruvian leaders in leadership roles and they would be able to focus on developing relationships with the youth.

We finally went to downtown Lima to shop and we got a lot of really neat things for the camp. We were able to buy 10 futbol/soccer balls, 10 volleyballs, 2 volleyball nets, 10 cajones/box drums and art supplies. It was a bit draining walking around the city, trying to find very specific items and also trying to get the best price. Thank God for Susan, she was a huge help as no one on our team speaks fluent spanish.

Leaving for Peru

Planning a trip out of the country has been one of the more difficult things I have done during my time as director of Ambridge Youth Ignite. There are so many details that have to be made, its a very overwhelming process.

This past weekend I spent it alone with Champ, one of our boys as Shea was out of town with DK (short for Donkey Kong) our littlest, I like the idea of nicknaming the boys for blog purposes (thanks Hols!). Anyway, Champ is struggling with transition recently and really really hates getting into the shower. So I waited all weekend to finally give him a shower. He fought me, screamed, said "no shower" repeatedly and "no clean". As much fun as this sounds it really takes the life out of you. But as soon as he hit the water, he was fine and smiling. He actually had a blast and stayed in until the water got way too cold for him.

The reason why I bring this up is because I had a moment of epiphany when I finally got Champ into the shower and saw how he loved it. The whole shower experience for Champ is how I am hoping Peru will be for me. I have felt like Champ, I want to stay comfortable here in the US, be here with my family and keep my schedule the same. But I know God has not called me to a comfortable life and he has made everything happen for us to go, so I have to go. Just like Champ knows at some point he is going to have to submit to the shower. My hope is like Champ that a huge smile will come across my face, when we reach Peru, as we are teaching the youth about sports and arts and how God is glorified in both. I am praying that our team brings glory to God through the trip and we have as much fun as Champ did once the water hit his face.

AYI Video

I hope this video gives you all a better look at Ambridge Youth Ignite and specifically the Sports & Arts Camp